aramis

Sometimes the wheels have issues and sometimes they don't. It's really hard to tell without trying the bike a time or two. If you go out and on the first ride within a mile, the rear wheel pops a spoke, I'd loosen the brakes, get home and go look into a new wheelset. If you ride it a dozen times and nothing happens then you'll probably be ok.

donalson

often clyds don't have issues even with low spoke count wheels, sometimes they do... and if they put enough miles on them with enough abuse even the best wheels will eventually pop a spoke or come out of true...

i've been as high as 340 and gotten hundreds if not thousands of miles out of stock machine built wheels (32 spoke in most cases)

so in short you may or may need a new wheelset, don't just jump into buying one right off the bat if you don't need one.

rommer25

Hello:

I started at 390+ with a big box store curiser (seven speed). Now, I have a Fuji Absolute 3.0 and an old Cannondale H400. I am down to 270 (today). Last year, before the winter, I was down to 240. I hope to be there again by the end of the summer. I really feel large weight loss is due, more to diet than the bicycle. However, the bicycle makes me feel a lot better about myself. I would also recommend a old steel frame moutian bike without suspension. I have road a Trek 800 with "street tires" and feel it would be great for someone in your situation. About borken spokes and the such: I experienced some broken spokes at first. I would ride like when I was a kid. Once I learned to ride the street, watching where I was going and avoiding obstructions, I no longer suffered borken spokes.

Greyfeld

Considering I have about 200 pounds on your highest weight, I feel like your personal experience might not hold true for me. What would really help is if somebody with my starting weight popped in and gave their story.

donalson

perhaps not... but I was on a 29er and MTBing which puts a "weaker" wheel under a whole lot of stress

that being said... check this guy out.
https://theamazingshrinkingman.blogspot.com/

and look at the posts by stormcrowe here (sorry i'm a mod on that forum and he's an amazing story... pretty sure he spends a bit of time around over on this side of the web)... but in short he started at almost 560lbs
https://forums.mtbr.com/clydesdales-t...tos-97174.html

goldfinch

My spouse rides a rigid mountain bike which we "hybridized." The changes we made included:

--new heavy duty seat post clamp, ditching the quick release which did not hold
--a used Brooks saddle, which he loves dearly. It cost as much as the bike.
--1.75 street tires
--taller stem with handlebars with a slight rise to them, for a more upright position.

The stock wheels have been fine. After we bought the bike used I had the wheels trued and spokes tensioned.

I found the bike on Craigslist for $60 and it has been a great buy. I had to fix and replace the brake cables, housing and pads. At some point I may replace the grip shifters with click shifters. The only thing he would change is go up one size so I am watching for a similar bike.

steve0257

The weight limits on bicycles are guidelines from the legal departments. The main thing is the manufacturer probably will not honor any warranty if you go over the weight limit.

Having said that I would think either a rigid frame mountain bike or a Worksman.

If I recall, the guy who started this thread started out on a rigid frame mountain bike, and he probably started out close to where you're at now.

https://www.bikeforums.net/showthread...fter-Pics-here!

goldfinch

Paging Tom!

Yes, Tom was at 560 pounds or thereabouts. Here he is riding his bike while on oxygen:

donalson

lol having to show me up finding him here on this webpage eh ;-) he posted on the clyd forum on MTBR also (which is where I linked)... it's a true inspiration

Myosmith

As others mentioned, my recommendation for relatively inexpensive, sturdy bikes for very obese individuals (I started at over 300 lbs) has always been chrome-moly steel framed mountain bikes from the late 1980s early 90s. Trek 700 and 800 series, Specialized Hard Rock, Giant Boulder or Yukon, and many more are out there. You can often find them in decent working order for $100 or so. These usually come with 36-spoke wheels which are quite sturdy, especially in 26", but you need to make sure they are true and properly tensioned (about $15 at any decent LBS).

Here are a few other recommendations:

- Get a seat that fits you well but don't fall for the big cushy bar stool type "comfort" seats.
- If the bikes has resin (plastic) pedals pop a few bucks into some Wellgo MTB pedals with a cro-mo spindle and alloy cage (about $25)
- Get commuter tires in 38+mm width or as wide as the frame/fork will comfortably allow (I like Schwalbe Smart Sams but there are many others)
- If you have wheel related problems, some Deore hubs laced to double-walled, eyeleted rims will set you back $250-$350 for the set but should be pretty bombproof. There are also 40-spoke wheelsets for heavy touring/tandems that will easily hold your weight, but they will be more expensive and are probably overkill. You could opt for a 40-spoke tandem wheel on the back and leave a standard midlevel 36-spoke MTB wheel on the front as the rear of the bike carries 60+% of the weight.

goldfinch

He pretty much runs this joint.

Tom Stormcrowe

Yep, I'm the site Admin here, now. Welcome to the site! You can hit your goals, I'm here to tell ya.

That's my real skinny butt in my avatar......

CommuteCommando

I was popping spokes like crazy on a Trek 7.2 FX until I popped a hundred bucks to have that wheel rebuilt by a pro. It was worth it. Even if you get a $100 rigid MTB from Craigslist and have to have a wheel built for another $100, two hundred bucks is still a good deal.

Goldfinch, thanks for the photo of TS. Sends a great message for all us wannabe's.

ZippyThePinhead

Impressive progress. I'll second the vintage MTB recommendation. The upright riding position is helpful.

Road bikes are less comfortable when a person has a gut and limited flexibility. When I first returned to the bike, I was fortunate to get a vintage Peugeot Orient Express at a local garage sale for $20. It was exactly what the doctor ordered, so to speak. I rode it for 1,400 miles before upgrading to a vintage road bike. Both are pictured below.

One thing which I did that was really dumb was take the Peugeot to a local bike shop (LBS). It had the original gumwalls on it, and I could have replaced the tires, tubes, brake shoes, and saddle with little difficulty. I don't know why it never occurred to me, but I never thought to look up videos on Youtube, and had no idea about this forum. I could have saved quite a bit by doing all that myself. If you're going to ride you need to know how to deal with a flat tire and basic maintenance.

Greyfeld

After some more research and discussion, I've decided that my first step is to find out exactly what size frame I need. I'm approximately 6' tall with a 30"-32" inseam. I was told that this means that I'll want a fram in the 18"-21" range, but the specific size will depend on what's most comfortable for me. In which case, I feel it'll be best if I hit up a local bike shop to test frames and see what feels the best before I try to find an actual bike. Used or not, I don't want to buy something only to find out that it's just a touch too small or too big for comfort.

Myosmith

18" is likely to be rather small. I'm also about 6' with a 32" inseam and I ride bikes with frames in the 21" range. I have one old Trek 700 that is my winter and trail bike so I intentionally chose a slightly smaller frame for the additional standover. It is a 19" frame and gives me about 3.5" standover clearance with 40mm hybrid tires. My wife rides a commuter with an 18" Trek 830 frameset and she is only about 5'6".

Judi

Does your city have a bike sharing program? It might be a good way to see if riding is really the thing for you right now before you invest a lot in a bike. Those bikes are really sturdy and they have an upright riding posture which should be the easier on your back and also easier for breathing.

About suspension forks, I am close to 400 currently and the suspension fork on hubby's bike and my kiddo's bike just bottom out as soon as I get on. My husband had a cheap bike with a full suspension and it was like riding a dying donkey.

Bike wheels can be pretty strong if you keep the tires inflated to the right amount. I always check tire pressure before every ride and I've never popped a spoke. I did just break an axle, but that seems to be a fairly inexpensive problem.

Rhodabike

A bike shop that sells used trade-ins as well as new bikes might be a good place to go for a second-hand mountain bike. They could steer you to the right size.
Don't worry too much about spoke count. Those old mountain bikes were designed to go thrashing down rocky trails, and of course the rims are smaller diameter than a 700c road bike rim. So, 36 spokes on a 26" rim are nearly equivalent to 40 spokes on a 700c rim. Keep enough air in the tires to avoid pinch flats, unload the back wheel by lifting yourself off the saddle over potholes that you can't avoid, and you should be okay.

License2Ill

I'd suggest a semi-recumbent exercise bike parked where your favorite chair is parked in front of the tv instead. Most bikes with seats with backs are a semi-recumbent, meaning normal seated position. Full recumbents are around, meaning your feet are straight out, but not as common and not quite as nice. Uprights are typically cheaper but not as comfortable.

I'd check your local craigslist for a decent fitness club-type model rather than new. For $500 or less you should be able to find something you'll actually use, will actually last, and will give you the type of results and measurement you are looking for in your exercise routine for the moment, because it will be comfortable, where you need it, when you need it, with no excuses and no changes in behavior other than pushing pedals. Make no mistake, while not the same size, it's an idea I have used myself. I just checked my local craigs' and there are dozens of them. Less need to worry about fits because all you need to do is adjust for leg length to the pedals.

Once you're doing that, walking will probably be the thing to do, or finding a beach cruiser with a nice seat to lap some flat areas to get outside with your options. From there, the options continue to open up.

Myosmith

I've got nothing against stationary bikes, but I find that riding in the real world is so much more motivating. I disagree with picking up a beach cruiser as they are usually nowhere near as sturdy as steel MTBs. With an upward angled stem and handlebars with moderate rise and sweep, my wife rides in a position that is nearly as upright as a cruiser and has a full range of gears to help with any inclines or wind.

To the OP: Good luck with your cycling pursuits. You can always outeat any exercise program so it will also be important for you to address nutrition (notice I didn't say "diet") and lifestyle changes to augment your cycling. One of the big steps for me was to get a sleep study where I found out just how bad my sleep apnea was. This problem is common in older men and is exacerbated by obesity. Treating it can make a huge difference to your health.

Greyfeld

This is really where I'm coming from. I've considered an exercise bike, but truth be told, working up a sweat in my living room isn't a whole lot of fun. I spend most of my time indoors as it is, and walking anywhere just isn't an option with the back problem I have; being able to simultaneously work off some of my weight and expand my traveling distance makes me quite excited at the prospect of picking up a real bike.

FWIW, I have some very minor sleep apnea, but my biggest problem is that my weight makes it difficult to sleep comfortably at night. I regularly wake up to shift positions at least half a dozen times. I can't sleep on my stomach because of my gut, and I can't sleep on my back because I'll wait up in so much pain that I won't be able to move, so I have to sleep on my sides... but all my excess weight makes my hips hurt when I sleep on my sides, so I have to switch sides every hour or so. I'm pretty much consistently tired because of it, and even take the occasional nap in my computer chair during the day to make up for the ****ty sleep I got at night.

TJClay

Sounds like you need to start with your diet first. Cutting back on junk foods, sweets and amount you eat should be your priority. Don't worry about what type of bike you get, just get something cheap, if it breaks, get another. When you lose your first 100 lbs treat yourself to a little bit better bike, when you break the 400 lb barrier you can consider getting something of quality that you can keep a while

Judi

OP, you might also try swimming in addition to biking. See if your city has any free pools. You don't have to do laps or anything...I think just getting in and letting the water support your weight might make your back feel better.

You're right that an exercise bike isn't the same as really getting out there and riding. I had a really good club-model semi-recumbent exercise bike and it felt like a chore to ride it. Riding a real bike is so much more fun, because you can move so much faster on it than you can walking.

Greyfeld

I'm well aware that changing my diet is important, but I'm more intent on starting biking. As it stands, my daily exercise is literally nil. It's not, "I don't really go out very much and spend most of my free time in front of the computer. Maybe I should do something about that." It's more, "I spend all day, every day, planted in my computer chair, only getting my feet under me to waddle to the kitchen or to take a piss."

Starting some sort of activity where I actually get up and move my body regularly (that doesn't kill my back) is priority numero uno, as far as I'm concerned.

Greyfeld

I might look into that after I start biking. As it stands, I have to rely on getting rides from other people or using the public transportation system to get around anywhere because I never got my driver's license. If I'm going to go to the pool, I'd rather do it after I'm self-sufficient, and preferably without having to take the bus.